http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200904_clark.pdf
This article is from "Educational Leadership" . The article is "The Case for Structured English Immersion" by Kevin Clark. It is an excellent article that explains the use of English to teach English to speakers of other languages. The first three states to initiate Structured English Immersion (SEI) are Arizona, California, and Massachusetts. According to Mr. Clark,"...SEI programs shared two basic components: (1) teachers maximize instruction in English and (2) teachers use and teach English at a level appropriate to the abilities of the ELLs (English Language Learners) in the class (Ramirez, Yuen, & Ramey, 1991)."
Today, all core teachers in middle and high schools have students who are ELLs. In middle school, all core teachers (and some elective teachers) are sent to a multiple-day workshop that trains teachers how to teach ELLs. As our world continues to 'shrink' because of technology, it is important that students (and adults) learn a global language; English is becoming our global language.
Thanks Julian. This was a very interesting read. After reading how they are implementing SEI, my curiosity was sparked into finding out what the actual resources look like. I liked how the structure is set up for language instruction, but I would really like to see it in action. I wonder if my principal would consider sending me and a colleague to observe one of these schools. By the way, I saved the file. Thanks!
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